Closure structure



June 21, 1938. I J. MORRls 2,120,986

CLOSURE STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 30, 1935 'Ea. J v 4{ Z l\\\\% j mm A fi=======a IL 5:"- K [NV EN TOR.

J5 MOE/Q/fi. Z Y BY I ATTORNEY Patented June 21, 1938 PATENT orricaonosvnn s'rrworoaa' Joseph E. Morris, Pasadena, Calif.

Application November 30, 1935, Serial No. 52,412

3 Claims.

My present invention relates to closure structures, and primarily tostructures in which the closures slide horizontally. The objects of myinvention are:

First, to provide a closure structure whereby a solid or transparentclosure such as a window, is easily convertible into a ventilatingmeans, such as a screen, or into an opaque panel;

Second, to provide such a structure in which a window and blind 'orscreen, normally secured together edge to edge are readily separated sothat the closure opening may be wholly opened any desired distance whendesired;

Third, to provide a closure structure which is substantiallyweatherproof except through the ventilating closure members;

Fourth, to provide novel means of draining wa- .ter to the outside ofthe building and further toprevent splashing of water on the walls ofhidden recesses for enclosing the withdrawn closure members;

Fifth, to provide novel and simple means of securing the closure membersin any shifted position;

Sixth, to provide a closure structure in which the means for locking themembers together or in place may not be readily tampered with;

Seventh, to provide a closure structure in which a window may beinterchangeably attached to a blind or screen and wither of the latterdrawn ,over the window opening when the window is withdrawn; and

Eighth, to provide as a whole a novel closure structure, which is simpleand economical of construction, and which will not readily get out of aorder.

With these and other objects in view, I have devised a closure structurehaving certain novel features of construction, as will appearhereinafter and particularly set forth in the appended claims, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing and to the characters of referencethereon which form a part of this application, in which;

Fig. l is an elevational view taken from the inside of the room showingmy closure structure in its preferred form, portions being broken awayto facilitate the illustration;

Fig. 2 is a section thereof in plan taken through 2--2 of Fig. 1;'

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged sections thereof taken respectively through3-3 and 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 2 showing the window partly pushedto one side and a screen shifted in its place; l V

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation thereof; and,

Fig. 7 is a section similar to Figs. 2 and 5 of a slightly modified formof my invention. v5

In the embodiment of my invention, as shown in the drawing, I have showna window frame 9 in a building wall 2, a window 3, closure 1, andenclosures 5 and 6 forming recesses for the reception of the window andclosure. The closure here m referred to may be a conventional shutter, ascreen, or the like. In the drawing, I have shown both a screen 4 andblind d side by side, the blind at the outer side. and both togethersubstantialiy the thickness of the window sash. The 15 window and otherclosure are each preferably of substantially the width of the window orframe opening I, and they are positioned side by side and edge to edge,that is, withthe vertical edges of the blind and screen abutting thesame vertical edge of the window. The enclosures referred to are wallportions at the opposite sides of the frame which form the narrowrecesses 5 and b for the reception of the whole of the window and otherclosure respectively.

It will be here noted that for the purpose of convenience, the screen 4and blind 4 are herein referred to as a closure 4.

The window 3 and closure 6 are separate. units which are detachablyconnected by a suitable lock, so that when the window is pushed to oneside the closure 4 is drawn with it to cover the space left by thewithdrawn window. The disconnection of the window 3 and closure 4 alsopermits each to be withdrawn into its respective recess so as to providea clear opening of the window, either whole or part.

In Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 6 of the drawing I have shown the window sash ashaving two locks It and I2 which have separate bolts or latchesseparately secureable to the screen l and blind 4 respectively, asdesired, by the operation of the desired lock. The window sash ispreferably secured to either the screen or blind when the window isdrawn over the window opening. Fig. 5 shows the screen attached to thewindow.

To the edge of one of the closure members, preferably the window, issecured a metal strip 2|, having flanges 2|" which extend toward thescreen and blind, and over the outer sides thereof, and are adapted tocover the slits between the adjacent closures when secured together.These flanges 2| are adapted to exclude water, dust, and the like fromthe room and are also intended to prevent ready access to the interiorof the room through the slits.

The lower edge portion of the window, screen and blind have a pluralityof transverse holes, the holes in the window being designated 3- andthose in the screen and blind 4. These holes are for the reception ofthe plungers or bolts of locking devices 3| and 32. These bolts arewithdrawn to allow free shifting of the closure members. If desired,only one of such locking bolts may be used.

n the sill l of the window frame is a trough 4|, as shown in Fig. 3,which trough extends across and beyond the width of the frame opening.The inner edge has an upwardly turned flange 4| to prevent rain fromcoming into the room. The trough is provided intermediate its inner andouter edges with track sections 4| and 4| upon which the closure membersmay ride. The ends of this trough extend into the recesses 5* and 6 forcatching any rain entering the recesses or dripping from the closuremembers which may be wholly or partly pushed into the recesses. However,the portions of the trough in the recesses have upwardly extending wallsat their outer edges, these walls being designated 42. These splashplates are intended to prevent rain, or the like, from entering thecrevices or from being deflected from the partially open closure membersonto the wooden or other wall and saturating the same or causing rot ordampness. The water from these splash boards or plates runs into thetroughs below and into the trough portion at the bottom of the windowopening and then onto the sill.

The track sections 4 l extend the full length of the trough and supportand guide the window 3 and screen 4, while the track sections 4l mayextend only through the recess 6. and over the sill I and support andguide the blind 4 In the modification, shown in Fig. 7, my invention isapplied to a double sliding window, the windows being indicated SI and52. In this instance, the window 52 needs no recess, the same beingshifted only in front of the window 5|.

Only the closure member, blind or screen 4 requires a recess or anenclosure.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction andmodifications thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the same, butdesire to include in the scope of my invention the construction,combination and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. In a closure structure, a closure frame, a pair of closure memberspositioned edge to edge, said closure members being shiftable withrespect to the frame, one being shifted over the opening as the other iswithdrawn, and a drain trough at the bottom of the space beyond theopposite sides of the opening, the troughs discharging from the adjacentends at the bottom of the opening, and splash plates extending upwardlyfrom the forward sides of the troughs in said spaces.

2. In a closure structure, a closure frame having deep recesses at theopposite sides, a pair of closure members positioned edge to edge andeach substantially the width of the opening encompassed by the frame andadapted to cover the opening when shifted thereover, said closuremembers being shiftable with respect to the frame in the direction ofsaid width, one being shifted over the opening as the other iswithdrawn, said closure members being also separable and each beingshiftable into a separate recess at the opposite side of the frame.

3. In a closure structure, a closure frame havin a window opening andrecesses at the opposite sides of the opening, a window slidable in theframe over the opening and slidable into one of the recesses, a separateblind and screen, one

positioned in front of the other and both adapted to be wholly concealedin the other recess, the combined thickness of the blind and screenbeing substantially that of the window, and means for separatelyattaching one edge of the blind or screen to the adjacent edge of thewindow.

JOSEPH E. MORRIS.

